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Gender-based Violence among Eritrean Refugees in Great Britain

Gender-based violence (GBV) is a harmful act or violence that affects a particular person based on their gender. There are different types of violence, including physical violence, psychological violence, and sexual violence.

According to UNHCR, by 2018, there were about 25.9 million refugees and 3.5 million asylum seekers fleeing from conflict and persecution. A considerable number of these refugees and asylum seekers are women.

Some of these women travelled a long and risky journey to reach their destination countries, expecting social and economic emancipation. Yet, many women refugees are subjected to mistreatment, exploitation and harassment, some of the abuses coming from fellow migrants, particularly their partners.

However, there is a dearth of research on GBV among refugees, particularly in their host countries. Therefore, informed by a feminist theoretical framework and semi-structured interviews with Eritrean women refugees in Great Britain, this study explores GBV among refugees. The following research questions guide the study:

  1. What are the causes and effects of gender-based violence among refugees, and
  2. What is the impact of migration on gender-based violence?

Dr Samson Tsegay would like to hear from Eritrean women refugees with experiences of GBV who would be willing to be interviewed for the project about their experiences. If you would be interested in taking part, please email [email protected]